Drying apparatus



31, 1961 E. B. PARKER, JR., EIAL 3,006,078

DRYING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 3, 1959 INVENTORS. fdson B. Parker/A BY B/awc/x 5 Parker United States atent: O

3,006,078 DRYING APPARATUS Edson B. Parker, Jr., and Blanch E. Parker, Bethel, Kans. (both of 8310 State Ave., Kansas City, Kaus.) Filed Aug. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 831,380 Claims. (Cl. 34-90) This invention relates to drying apparatus for use in combination with a conventional hair dryer of the type having a hood, one end of the hood being provided with an open mouth.

It is the most important object of this invention to provide drying apparatus which may be utilized to receive combs, brushes and similar equipment utilized by beauty shop operators which equipment requires washing and subsequent drying, and which apparatus may be positioned and locked within the hood of a hair dryer whereby the heating and blower means normally provided in such a dryer may be utilized to quickly and thoroughly dry the equipment placed in the drying apparatus.

It is a further object object of this invention to provide a drying apparatus for use in combination with a hair dryer having a substantially elliptical, open mouth,

which hair drying apparatus includes a container having a bottom wall of elliptical configuration with an outer dimension smaller than the inner dimension of the mouth of the hair dryer, the container being provided with outwardly extending flanges whereby the container may be positioned within the hood and suitably rotated to bring the flanges into engagement with a lip of the hood and thus support the container within the hood.

Further objects of this invention include the details of construction of the drying apparatus which has an upstanding, continuous side wall, an outwardly extending flange disposed at the junction of the side wall and the bottom wall of the container and handle means for rotating the container with respect to the hood of the dryer which handle means also serve to support the drying container when the same is not in use within the hood.

Further aims and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the drying apparatus in place within the hood of a conventional hair dryer, parts being broken away and in section to reveal details of construction;

FIG. '2 is a front elevational view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, parts being broken away and in section to reveal details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view showing the drying apparatus positioned within the hood of the dryer prior to being moved into locking engagement therewith;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view taken along line 44 of FIG. 2 and showing the drying apparatus in a locked position with respect to the hood of the hair dryer; and,

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the drying apparatus.

In the drawing, there is shown a conventional hair dryer 10 of the type utilized in beauty shops and the like which conventional hair dryers have a conical shaped hood 12, one end of the hood 12 being closed and the opposite end being provided with an open mouth 14. Hood 12 is normally pivotally supported by a suitable upright such as 16 and mouth 14 is downwardly directed when hair dryer 10 is in use. Hood 12 of hair dryer 10 is also provided with electrical heating means 20 and suitable blower apparatus such as 22 whereby heated air is circulated within hood 12 and directed downwardly from the normally uppermost end of hood 12 toward mouth 14 thereof.

In conventional hair dryers such as that shown in the 3,006,078 Patented Oct. 31, 1961 'ice drawing, mouth 10 is substantially elliptical in configuration and is provided with an inwardly extending lip 24 which encircles the mouth and defines the inner edge thereof.

The present improvement consists of drying apparatus broadly designated as 26 adapted to be utilized in conjunction with a conventional hair dryer 10 as abovedescribed. Drying apparatus 26 is in the form of an open top container having a bottom wall 28 and a continuous, upstanding frusto-conical side wall 30, the top of the container being open. As is apparent from FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing, bottom wall 28 is substantially elliptical in plan configuration, the peripheral dimension of' the bottom wall 28 being less than the peripheral dimension of lip 24 provided upon mouth 14.

Drying apparatus 26 is provided with a pair of opposed, outwardly extending flanges 32 which are disposed at the end portions 34 and 36 of bottom wall 28 and at the juncture of said end portions 34 and 36 of bottom wall 28 with proximal portions of upstanding side wall 30. As shown in FIG. 3, flanges 32 provide extensions at the end portions 34 and 36 of bottom wall 28, said flanged extensions having an arcuate outer edge coinciding substantially with thecurvature of the adjacent portion of lip 24 when the drying apparatus 26 is positioned within the hood as shown in FIG. 3.

It will be appreciated that the drying apparatus 26 may be easily disposed within hood 12 in the position shown in FIG. 3 and may be moved upwardly therewithin to dispose flanges 32 above the plane of lip 24 without encountering resistence from any portions of hair dryer 10. After so positioning drying apparatus 26- it is intended that the same be rotated degrees to the position shown in FIG. 4 whereby flanges 32 overlie the portion of lip 24 disposed along the longer sides of elliptical mouth 14. Manifestly when rotated to the position shown in FIG. 4, portions of lip 24 will underlie flanges 32 and support drying apparatus 26 substantially entirely within the confines of hood 12. After the drying has been accomplished and it is desired to remove apparatus 26 from within hood 12 the apparatus 26 may be again rotated 90 degrees to the position shown in FIG. 3 whereby the drying apparatus will have the flanges 32 thereof removed from engagement with lip 24 and any portion of hood 12 and may be moved downwardly out of hood 12.

To facilitate the rotation of drying apparatus 26 with respect to hood 12 as above-described, a handle means 38 is provided on one face of bottom wall 28. This handle means preferably takes the form of a rectangular tray shaped member having the bottom 40 thereof secured to bottom wall 28 at substantially the center of said bottom wall. Handle means 38 also includes side Wall 42 which extends outwardly from bottom 40 and which may be grasped by the user of the drying apparatus to position the same within hood 12 and rotate the drying apparatus 26 with respect thereto. The construction of handle means 38 also allows the same to serve as a support for drying apparatus 26 when said apparatus is not in use and it is desired to place the same upon a suitable supportin surface for the reception of combs, brushes and the like subsequent to the washing of such equipment but prior to the drying thereof. Furthermore the rec tangular configuration of handle 38 makes it possible by viewing the disposition of the handle to ascertain the exact position of drying apparatus 26 within the hood 12 of dryer 10.

Drying apparatus 26 is preferably formed from a pliable, heat resistant plastic and the face of bottom wall 28 opposite to that to which handle 38 is attached is provided with a plurality of upstanding ribs 44 which serve to support the combs, brushes or the like 46 with- 3 in the confines of drying apparatus 26. Said ribs 44 may assume any configuration but as shown in FIG. 5 are in the form of a plurality of substantially concentric, elliptical ribs spaced apart across the inner face of bottom wall 28.

Thus it will be appreciated that drying apparatus 26 may, when it is not in use, be placed upon a suitable supporting surface and supported by handle means 38 in a position whereby combs, brushes and the like may be washed and then placed within drying apparatus 26 upon ribs 44. When the open top container forming drying apparatus 26 has the desired number of pieces of equip ment such as 46 therewithin, the apparatus may be grasped by handle 38 and positioned within the hair dryer as shown in FIG. 4. By then rotating drying apparatus 26 90 degrees in either direction flanges 32, which are substantially triangular in transverse section are moved to a position above the side portions of lip 24. The drying apparatus 26 is then lowered and lip 24 supports thev same within the hood 12, the bottom :wall 28 of drying apparatus 26 being disposed above the plane of mouth defining lip 24. Heating means 20 and blower apparatus 22 are then actuated and cause heated air to circulate about equipment 46, it being noted that the provision of ribs 44 allows the heated air to circulate beneath the equipment 46 and to thoroughly dry the same. After the drying has thus been accomplished, the drying apparatus 26 is rotated from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 3 and removed from the confines of the hood 12 of hair dryer 10.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that a simple,

yet efiicient apparatus has been created for use in combination with conventional hair dryers which apparatus utilizes the configuration of the mouth 14 of the hair dryer l0 to facilitate the disposition of the drying apparatus 26 within the confines of hood12 of hair dryer 10 whereby the maximum drying eiiect may be obtained. The provision of a drying apparatus of a similar, but smaller peripheral dimension than the lip 24 of mouth 14 and the provision ofoutwardly extending flanges 32 at the end portions of elliptical bottom wall 28 creates a simple yet highly effective means for holding and locking drying apparatus 26 imposition with respect to hood 12 of hair dryer 10.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a hair dryer having a hood with a normally downwardly directed, open mouth and an inwardly extending lip encircling the mouth and disposed to direct heated air downwardly through said 4 mouth; a drying container adapted to be disposed within the hood, said container having a bottom wall, a con tinuous, upstanding, frusto-conical side wall and opposed flanges on said bottom wall and extending outwardly from said side wall, said flanges being engageable with said lip whereby the container is supported in a position substantially entirely within the confines of the hood.

2. In combination with a hair dryer having a hood with a normally downwardly directed, substantially elliptical, open mouth, downwardly directed, heated airp'roducing means therein spaced above the mouth'thereof, and an inwardly extending lip encircling the mouth; a drying container adapted to be disposed within the hood, said container having a bottom wall of generally elliptical configuration, the peripheral dimension of said bottom wall being smaller than that of the mouth opening, a continuous, upstanding, frus'to-conical side wall, and a flange extending outwardly from said side wall at each end portion thereof and engageable with said lip whereby said container may be placed within the hood and rotated to a position where the flanges are engaged by portions of said lip to support the container substantially entirely within the confines of the hood across the path of flow of said heated air.

3. Drying apparatus adapted to be removably carried by an open mouth hair dryer having a continuous, inwardly extending lip at said mouth and heated air-producing means therein spaced above said mouth, said appara tus comprising an open top container having a bottom wall, a continuous, upstanding side wall, and a pair of opposed flanges extending outwardly from said side wall at the point of juncture of said side wall and said bottom Wall and engageable with the lip for supporting the container when the latter is carried by said hair dryer.

4. Drying apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein one face of said bottom wall is provided with a plurality of ribs thereon for supporting articles placed in said container.

5. Drying apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein there is provided handle means on one face of said bottom wall for rotating said apparatus with respect to said hair dryer and aligning said flange means in supporting relationship to said lip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,081,034 Carter May 18, 1937 2,705,841 Piazza Apr. 12, 1955 2,721,395 Walker Oct. 25, 1955 2,846,777 Collins Aug. 12, 1958 

